Hard bounce

Hard bounce

Email Marketing

A hard bounce is a permanent delivery failure, such as an address or domain that doesn't exist, so the email can never be delivered there.

What is Hard bounce?

Hard bounces come back with a permanent (5xx) error: no such user, no such domain, or the address was rejected for good. Remove them immediately. Mailing a hard-bounced address again tells providers your list isn't maintained, and old dead addresses can be turned into spam traps. In SmartyTap, an address that hard-bounces is suppressed automatically and won't be emailed again.

Example

A shopper typed "jane@gmial.com" at checkout. The first email hard-bounces, and the address is suppressed.

Why Hard bounce Matters

A rising hard bounce rate is a red flag to inbox providers and drags down delivery for everyone on your list.

Hard bounce FAQ

What causes hard bounces?

Typos, closed accounts, made-up addresses and domains that no longer exist.

Should I retry a hard-bounced address?

No. Suppress it. Only re-add it if the person signs up again with a corrected address.

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